Type 2 Diabetes Improves After Surgery

Posted: April 10, 2017

Improving type 2 diabetes is one of the many health benefits to bariatric surgery.

Research shows that metabolic and bariatric surgery improves type 2 diabetes in nearly 90 percent of the patients. After surgery, your blood sugar levels go down. Most people don’t need as much medication. And, many health problems related to diabetes get better.

Here’s even better news: 78 percent of patients see their diabetes go into remission. Not only does surgery reduce their blood sugar to a normal level, it also eliminates the need for diabetes medications.

It’s an important consideration for millions of American adults who have obesity. Type 2 diabetes is a leading cause of death nationwide. It leads to heart disease, stroke, blindness, kidney failure, depression, and mortality risk from certain cancers. Health officials estimate it reduces a person’s life expectancy by 12 to 14 years.

When you consider the three most common bariatric surgeries, each procedure affects diabetes differently.

Bariatric surgery improves type 2 diabetes

Roux-en-y gastric bypass causes remission of type 2 diabetes in 80 percent of patients. Another 15 percent see improvement. These positive side effects happen early after surgery and before significant weight-loss. Health authorities say it’s related to changes in hormones produced by the gut.

Sleeve Gastrectomy also appears to cause some changes in gut. More than 60 percent of patients have diabetes remission. Some studies found their results are similar to patients who have gastric bypass.

Remission of diabetes occurs in 45 to 60 percent of patients who have the adjustable gastric band. The remission or improvement of diabetes, however, is secondary to the weight-loss produced by the procedure. So, patients who don’t lose weight after their surgery are unlikely to improve their diabetes.

Of course, if you’re considering weight-loss surgery, diabetes is just one factor that your doctor takes into consideration before recommending which procedure would be best for you.

Nearly all patients who have bariatric surgery see some improvement in their diabetes, according to published studies.